Patriots Suddenly Have Competition to Sign Veteran Pass-Catcher in Week 2
By Cem Yolbulan
The New England Patriots are off to a great start as they pulled off an improbable win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. What was widely expected to be a developmental season in New England could turn out to be more competitive for Patriots fans. With that objective in mind, the Patriots are still trying to make additions to the roster and worked out tight ends Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Irv Smith on Monday.
Irv Smith would be a particularly solid signing as he has shown that he can be an impactful NFL player so far in his career. He didn't live up to the promise he showed as a second-round pick back in 2019 due to injuries but he has had multiple productive seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
It turns out the veteran tight end has a bigger market than the Patriots may have initially thought. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Cleveland Browns are also working out Smith after their starting TE David Njoku suffered an ankle injury in Week 1.
NFL News: Browns Working Out Patriots Target TE Irv Smith
The #Browns are hosting several tight ends for free agent visits/workouts today, including Irv Smith, Tommy Sweeney and Geoff Swaim, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 10, 2024
Cleveland was in the market for a tight end before David Nkoju hurt his ankle Week 1. Now, it's a necessity.
The Patriots drafted tight end Jaheim Bell out of Florida State in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He is firmly behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper in the depth chart as two veterans took the majority of the snaps in Week 1.
Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will have a run-heavy offense throughout the season. Tight ends will play an important role as a blocker in that system. Adding another veteran in there in case Henry or Hooper goes down makes plenty of sense for the Patriots.
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